Humidifying unit

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to an air conditioning unit comprising a housing, means defining a substantially L-shaped passage through said housing, said housing having an inlet and an outlet, an air blower in said housing, an air cooling evaporator and a compressor of an air cooling system, said air cooling evaporator being in said L-shaped passage, air heating means in said Lshaped passage, said air cooling evaporator being on the leg of said L-shaped passage adjacent said inlet of said L-shaped passage, said air heating means being on the leg of said L-shaped passage adjacent said outlet of said L-shaped passage, said air blower being between said air cooling evaporator coil and said heating means, said compressor for said air cooling system being nested between the arms of said L-shaped passage.

, United States Patent 11 1 1111 3,833,052 Cardinal Sept. 3, 1974 HUMIDIFYING UNIT [75] Inventor: Philip Cardinal, Barrie, Ontario, Pnmary Exammer charles Sukalo Canada [73] Assignee: Conat Industries Limited, Toronto, [57] ABSTRACT Ontario, Canada This invention relates to an air conditioning unit comprising a housing, means defining a substantially L- [22] Filed 1973 shaped passage through saidhousing, said housing [21] Appl. No.: 345,268 having an inlet and an outlet, an air blower in said housing, an air cooling evaporator and a compressor of an air cooling system, said air cooling evaporator [30] Forelgn Apphcauon Pnomy Data being in said L-shaped passage, air heating means in Apr. 26, 1972 Canada 140594 Said L Shaped passage, Said air Cooling evaporator being on the leg of said L-shaped passage adjacent [52] US. Cl 165/20, 165/60, 165/122 i inlet of Said L Shaped passage Said air heating [51] Int. Cl}. F24f 3/14 means being on the leg of Said L Shaped passageadja v [58] Field 0 Search 165/19, 20, 21, 26, 27, cent said Outlet of Said bshaPed passage, Sald air 165/601 122 blower being between said air cooling evaporator coil and said heating means, said compressor for said air [56] References C'ted cooling system being nested between the arms of said UNITED STATES PATENTS L-shaped passage.

1,859,613 5/1932 Bailey 165/20 2,220,594 11 1940 Young et al. 165/63 3 Clams 2 Drawmg F'gures HUMIDIFYING UNIT This invention relates to an air conditioning unit capable of temperature and humidity control. An air conditioner of the general type under consideration consists essentially of a housing with a fan mounted therein that is adapted to take air from an input opening and deliver it at an output opening. As the air passes through the casing, it is heated, cooled, humidified and cleaned. Apparatus of this general nature is well known. Much of it, however, is cumbersome and bulky to the point where it is difficult to install and to maintain. v

The present invention provides an efficient and compact arrangement of the component parts that can be housed in a relatively small cabinet wherein the interconnection of the component parts is simplified and the unit can be mounted in a small amount of space.

An air conditioning unit according to the present invention comprises a housing, means defining a substantially L-shaped passage through said housing, said- L- shaped passage having an inlet and an outlet, an air blower in said L-shaped passage, an air cooling evaporator and a compressor for an air cooling system, said air cooling evaporator being mounted in said L-shaped passage, air heating means in said L-shaped passage, said air cooling evaporator being on the leg of said L- shaped passage adjacent said inlet of said L-shaped passage, said air heating means being on the leg of said L- shaped passage adjacent said outlet of said L-shaped passage, said air blower being between said air cooling evaporator coil and said air heating means, said compressor of said air cooling system being nested between the arms of said L-shaped passage.

The invention will be clearly understood after reference to the followingdetailed specification read in connection with the drawings.

in the drawings:

FIG. I is a plan view of an air conditioner assembly according to this invention andi FIG. 2 is a partially broken away illustration of the assembly in perspective.

Referring to the drawings, the air conditioning unit comprises a housing generally indicated by the numeral 10. It is made of metal and has a base 11, a back wall 12, a front wall 14 and side walls 16 and 18. Side wall 16 has an air inlet 17 to an L-shaped passage that extends through the casing in the direction of the series of arrows 20 to the outlet 22 in the front wall 14 of the housing.

The numeral 24 refers to an electric motor driven air blower in the L-shaped passage which is adapted to draw air through the inlet 17' and expell it from the outlet 22.

Numeral 26 refers to a coarse lint screen adapted to remove coarse lint from the air passing through the L- shaped passage. .Numeral 28 refers to an electronic air cleaner adapted to clean the air electronically as it passes through the passage. Numeral 30 refers to a condensing unit of a refrigerating system and includes an air cooling evaporator coil which is equipped with aluminum fins and is adapted to cool the air passing through the L-shaped passage in use when required.

Numeral 32 refers to electric heaters which are located in the L-shaped passage on the output side of the fan 24 and which are adapted in use to heat the air as it passes through the air conditioning unit when required. Appropriate controls are provided to operate either the refrigerating system or the heating system as required so that in use the unit can operate to either heat or cool air. Details of the controls and of these units themselves are not included in this specification because they are matters of choice and well known to those in the art. This invention in concerned with the relative arrangement of these parts in the air conditioning unit. I

The electric motor and compressor for the refrigerating system is indicated by the numeral 34 and it will be noted that it is nested between the arms of the L- shaped passage through the housing. Locating the is not in the L-shaped air passage, but it is within the housing of the unit and under the relatively constant temperature conditions of the housing. Usually, the

compressor for the refrigerating system is located outside of the housing at the location of the outdoors condenser where it is subject to extremes of temperature. By locating it between the arms of the L-shaped through passage, it is possible to house the compressor within the housing with substantial operating advantage.

The numeral 36 refers to a humidifier chamber. it houses an air humidifying plate 38 which is maintained in a wet condition by the constant supply thereto of water through the control valve 40. A heater 42 on one side of the plate 38 is adapted to heat air prior to its passage through the plate for the purpose of increasing its water absorbing capacity. This is of importance when humidifying the air under conditions of cooling.

There are two paths through the humidifier chamber 36. The first path indicated by the series of arrows 44 communicates with points on the L-shaped path 20 that are spaced apart by the air cooling evaporator 30 of the refrigerating system. This path is adapted to function when the system is operating to, cool the air and it bypasses a certain amount of the air taken in at the input opening 18 around the cooling coils of the cooling evaporator and conducts it through the moistened evaporator pad 38. As it passes through the pad 38, it picks up moisture in an amount that depends upon the amount of water fed to the pad by the control valve 40. Solenoid control valve 40 is in turn operated by a moisture sensing device in the L-shaped passage. Detail of the moisture control is variable, conventional and not shown in detail. Prior to passing through the evaporator pad 38 the air is heated by the electric heater 42 to increase its moisture absorbing capacity.

The path44 is an alternative path and it is operative when the slide door 46 is moved into the dotted'line position of FIG. 1 to close off path 48 and establish path 44 through the chamber 36.

When the device is operating to heat air and the heaters 32 are operating, the door 46 is disposed in the solid line position of FIG. 1 to block off the passage 44 and establish a passage from the L-shaped passage 20 through the chamber 36 and to the L-shaped passage 20 as indicated by the series of arrows 48.

Thedoor 46 is slid on its track between the two illustrated positions to establish one or other of the alternative paths through the humidifier chamber depending upon whether the unit is cooling or heating by means of a microswitch controlled solenoid that is responsive to the operation of the heater or the cooler. Detail of the motive power for the door 46 is optional and not shown in detail.

Numeral 50 refers to a drainage pan that underlies the humidifier chamber 36 and the evaporator pad 38. It has a drainage opening at its front bottom portion to drain water that drips from these components from the unit. The aligned mounting of these elements so that they can be served by a common drainage pan simplifies construction.

The electronic air cleaning element 28, the coarse lint screen 18, the cooler evaporator coil 30, the humidifying assemblyt36 and the heater elements 32 are all constructed so that they can be slidably removed from the unit where described. The compressor 34 is likewise mounted through an opening in the frame of the front wall for securement in its mounting position.

The electrical wiring connections (not illustrated) for the heater, fan motor and compressor motor are preferably housed at the side wall 18 and accessible and covered by a removable-*cowling.

The wiring system for the components is not illustrated in detail. The wiring, for example, of the motor for the fan 24 and for the compressor 34 is not thought to be relevant to the invention. Nor is the wiring for the control of the gate 46 which establishes one or other of the paths through the humidifying chamber 36. These are things that are capable of infinite variation and can be designed by any person skilled in the art. The unit is controlled from a thermostat and humidifying sensing device to operate the heating and/or the cooling systems and to supply the correct amount of water to the humidifier. By reason of the fact that humidification is possible under conditions of cooling the unit is capable of maintaining environmental control under conditions of heating and cooling. This is often required in applications like computer rooms. In mid-winter, the general humidity is often low. At the same time. because of the heat given off by the machines, air cooling is necessary in the space. The present unit is capable of cooling the air and at the same time humidifying it under these. conditions. The location of'the humidifying chamber between the arm of the L-shaped through passage is a feature that permits the compact arrangement of the components. The feed back for the humidifier is convenient and the compressor is conveniently housed. The housing has an appropriate sheet metal covering which is shown broken away to illustrate the arrangement of parts that constitute the invention.

In use, the housing is mounted in any convenient location either on the ceiling or on the floor with the L- shaped passage preferably substantially horizontal and air from the area to be controlled is conducted into the inlet 18 passes through the L-shaped path and out of the outlet 22 from whence it is conducted back to the area to be controlled. The sensing devices for temperature which control the operation of the heating devices or refrigeration circuit as required are remotely located in the area to be air conditioned. The sensing device for the humidity control is also preferably located in the airconditioned area and operates a solenoid valve to con trol the amount of water passing through the valve 40 in accordance with known practice. The condensor coil for the refrigerating circuit is preferably remotely located and usually exterior of the building. Connections for'the refrigerant suction line and refrigerant liquid line to and from the condensor respectively are indicated by the numerals 54 and 56.

What 1 claim as my invention is: 1. An air conditioning unit comprising a housing, means defining a substantially L-shaped passage through said housing, said housing having an inlet and an outlet, an air blower in said housing, an air cooling evaporator and a compressor of an air cooling system, said air cooling evaporator being in said L-shaped passage, air heating means in said L-shaped passage, said air cooling evaporator being on the leg of said L-shaped passage adjacent said inlet of said L- shaped passage, said air heating means being on the leg of said L- shaped passage adjacent said outlet of said L- shaped passage. said air blower being between said air cooling evaporator coil and said heating means and at the junction of said legs of said L-shaped passageway, said compressor for said air cooling system being nest'ed between the arms of said L-shaped passage.

2. An air conditioning unit claimed in claim I having a humidifier chamber,

an air humidifying surface in said humidifier chamher,

said humidifier chamber communicating with said L-shaped passage on the inlet side of said air blower.

3. An air conditioning unit as claimed in claim 1 in which said humidifier chamber has at least two paths therethrough,

the first one of said two paths communicating with said L-shaped passage at points spaced apart by said air cooling evaporator coil of said air refrigerating system,

the second one of said two paths communicating with said L-shaped passage at points spaced apart by said heating element, and

means for establishing one or other of said two paths through said humidifier chamber. 

1. An air conditioning unit comprising a housing, means defining a substantially L-shaped passage through said housing, said housing having an inlet and an outlet, an air blower in said housing, an air cooling evaporator and a compressor of an air cOoling system, said air cooling evaporator being in said L-shaped passage, air heating means in said L-shaped passage, said air cooling evaporator being on the leg of said L-shaped passage adjacent said inlet of said L-shaped passage, said air heating means being on the leg of said L-shaped passage adjacent said outlet of said L-shaped passage, said air blower being between said air cooling evaporator coil and said heating means and at the junction of said legs of said L-shaped passageway, said compressor for said air cooling system being nested between the arms of said L-shaped passage.
 2. An air conditioning unit as claimed in claim 1 having a humidifier chamber, an air humidifying surface in said humidifier chamber, said humidifier chamber communicating with said L-shaped passage on the inlet side of said air blower.
 3. An air conditioning unit as claimed in claim 1 in which said humidifier chamber has at least two paths therethrough, the first one of said two paths communicating with said L-shaped passage at points spaced apart by said air cooling evaporator coil of said air refrigerating system, the second one of said two paths communicating with said L-shaped passage at points spaced apart by said heating element, and means for establishing one or other of said two paths through said humidifier chamber. 